Saturday, June 22, 2013

Stopping too Soon

I start. I make a little progress. I evaluate, reconsider, decide there's a problem. It doesn't look like I thought it would. So I stop -- too soon. Then it draws me back and I reconsider some more. Add another block pattern, add a color, change a color, play. Then photograph. Surprise! Maybe it's better than I thought. Maybe it will work. Maybe.

I like red and I like green. And I especially like red and green together. I know most people think of red and green as Christmas colors but I enjoy them all year. And I know nature enjoys them in the summer.

The inspiration for this quilt came while riding past a garden display of hundreds of red roses blooming against luscious green foliage. Gorgeous!

The reason for this quilt, at least to begin with, was the need for a small handwork project during a 3 1/2 hour drive to and from a visit to my daughters' homes. The quilt I'm quilting is too cumbersome for the car. I needed something small. These seemed perfect. (And they were.)

My first idea was only appliqued circles but I quickly realized that with 5" blocks it would take me a
decade to stitch enough to become a quilt. So I added the machine-stitched block variations. My colors were originally only red circles and darkish green backgrounds that read as solids from a distance. Then I thought maybe brown blocks with red circles would be safer. They would have been safer but a little dark so I went back to the green background with red circles, added blocks with red center squares with green surrounding them (which may stay or go), and will use the blocks with red squares with green cross bars in the centers. I think. Unless I change my mind. The blocks will alternate in some way.

I thought maybe I needed to expand the color variations. When I saw these blocks I realized I was right. Now I have a wider range of both reds and greens in mind. I'll use scraps first, then dig into the quarter and half yard pieces.

Beginning a quilt that isn't someone else's pattern is interesting, exciting, and a little daunting, especially for a quilter without much experience. Will the pattern work? Will the colors work? If not, it's only fabric and everything about it can change -- and it might. Unless I stop too soon.

1 comment:

Hi Nancy! I enjoyed reading your process. That is what I am most interested it, how others go about creating. Designing a quilt is a delicious journey. I use a design floor, since I sew in a loft with no big walls. But whatever is used, getting perspective from a little distance, and/or from a photo, really helps. I love the addition of the mustard yellow in your design. It helps the eye move around the whole area. Scary to get outside the box, but so satisfying. Not everyone will like our originality, but we will be sew happy! Keep creating. xo

Hello, Friend,

Welcome to my little blog. It's just beginning so there's not much to look at but if you'll come back soon you should see something new -- and you never know what it might be. Maybe a quilt (or a quilt in process), a plant, possibly a book, a quote, a video, or even just a photo. If you'd like, please leave a comment. I'm pleased you came to visit and I hope you'll come again soon.--Nancy.